Is the zero-tolerance policy toward sexual exploitation and abuse having a positive impact on UN peacekeeping missions? This report, prepared for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reviews evidence from UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti and Liberia and concludes that the policy is yielding mixed results. It contends that the policy’s difficulties stem from implementation problems and contextual challenges that would be eased by better communication and clarity as to the intents and purposes of the zero-tolerance approach.
In order to combat the problem of sexually exploitative or abusive behaviour by UN peacekeepers toward local citizens, the United Nations has instituted a “zero-tolerance policy” that prohibits the exchange of money, goods, and other assistance for sex; prohibits UN personnel from having sexual relations with persons under the age of 18; and strongly discourages sexual relationships between UN personnel and adult beneficiaries of assistance. Peacekeepers found in violation of the policy can be dismissed from UN service and may be subject to prosecution in their home country or military tribunal for criminal violations.
Drawing on evidence from UN missions in Haiti and Liberia, it is clear that the zero-tolerance policy is experiencing mixed results. Some initial evidence suggests that the policy is having a positive effect, while a consensus among informants agrees that the policy misses a greater or lesser extent of the activity it is supposed to cover. Key findings from a review of the two mission experiences include:
- Enforcement problems undermine the policy, imposing a particular normative standard on a diverse population of peacekeepers is challenging
- Local context, both in terms of the mission mandate and the country setting, is key to the success of the zero-tolerance approach
- Implementation of the policy is uneven across missions. While this may be necessary to fit local context to some extent, evidence suggests that communication and guidance on the intents and purposes of the policy is weak within UN missions
Different approaches to implementing the zero-tolerance policy vary according to whether the primary task is protecting the local population from sexual exploitation and abuse or protecting the UN’s image from disrepute. Where it is the latter, as in Haiti, the UN generally adopts a minimalist, internally-oriented approach where public outreach is limited and prevention is largely sanctions-based. By contrast, where the primary task is protecting the local population, as in Liberia, UN missions generally employ a maximalist approach in which working relationships with local organisations and rights-based mechanisms predominate.
Differentiating the two ideal types of intervention does not imply a moralistic argument for one over the other. Rather, it provides some clarity in terms of which actions and desired outcomes may be possible in different mission contexts. Recommendations for improving the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy for current and future UN missions include:
- Improving communication, cooperation, and information-sharing between offices and entities within the UN
- Systematically integrating and prioritising clear guidance on conducting sexual exploitation and abuse prevention and enforcement within the existing activities of the mission
- Avoid perpetuating or introducing stereotypes about local population in the presentation and explanation of the zero-tolerance policy
- Provide more guidance on how to appropriately deal with the policy on adult relationships or discard the clause completely – at present, it merely complicates implementation and undercuts the policy’s legitimacy
